New Delhi, 08 March (H.S.): President Droupadi Murmu asserted that genuine national development mandates equitable involvement from women, representing nearly half the population, while urging inspiration for ambitious aspirations alongside unwavering support at every juncture to realize India's Viksit Bharat vision by 2047.
Addressing a national event organized by the Ministry of Women and Child Development on International Women’s Day, Murmu honored women's strides across education, administration, judiciary, armed forces, medicine, science, technology, arts, and entrepreneurship.
She highlighted rural self-help groups fostering economic independence and panchayat leadership, alongside trailblazing roles in industry, startups, corporates, and sports—proof that opportunity unlocks unparalleled excellence.
India advances toward women-led development, Murmu noted, with barriers dismantled over the past decade: gender parity in school enrollment, surpassing male enrollment in higher education gross ratio, and surging STEM participation. Union Budget 2026-27 provisions for district-level women’s hostels will sustain STEM pursuits.
President Murmu lauded over half of Startup India-aided ventures featuring at least one female director, 200,000+ women-owned MSMEs on GeM, and the She-Mart initiative deploying community-run retail outlets per district for SHG products. New labor codes ensure inclusive, secure workplaces, complemented by Beti Bachao Beti Padhao promoting girl child survival-education-safety, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana for secure savings, Ujjwala for smoke-free kitchens, Mudra for financial autonomy, and Mission Shakti fortifying safety-empowerment.
Despite strides, discrimination, wage inequities, and domestic violence persist, demanding mindset shifts beyond legislation for true equity sans son-daughter bias. In fear-free environs, women maximize nation-building contributions.
Murmu called for universal resolve: prioritizing girls’ education-opportunities, women’s honor-safety, and eradicating biases—positioning India as a global empowerment exemplar. Extending greetings, she framed the day as both tribute to achievements and pledge for empowerment.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
